Download Aging Ergonomics

ERGONOMICS
For the ELDERLY
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As we age, our bodies and minds change. So our
environment needs to change too. Sadly, older people
often have problems using everyday products because the
design of many commonly used products do not take into
account their limitations.
Things that require flexible fingers or strong hands can be
almost impossible for some seniors to use. Even if they can
manage to open that prescription bottle or replace the
batteries in their hearing aid, it can be a time-consuming
and frustrating experience.
Older people feel forgotten and ignored by the designers
and engineers who failed to consider their needs and
limitations. They are embarrassed and humiliated when
they need help with simple tasks.
Aging Ergonomics
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Several sections cover the sections on
changes to our Aging Bodies: Musculoskeletal
(muscles and bones) and Neuromuscular
(muscles and nerves) followed by those
related to in our Aging Senses:
Seeing
Hearing
Smelling
Tasting
Touching
Our Aging Senses
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THE AGING EYE: The pupil shrinks
with age. This shrinkage is called
senile miosis.
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By age 60, the pupil is only one-third
its size at age 20. This is a
disadvantage for older adults in a
dim light because their pupils cannot
open as much to let in more light.
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But in bright light, a smaller pupil
provides a slight advantage because
the smaller pupil is closer to the
optimum size for producing a sharp
retinal image.
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Senile miosis may also improve
contrast sensitivity, and may help
compensate for lens by reducing the
scatter of light within the eye.
Seeing
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THE AGING EAR: The aging ear is more
sensitive to noise-induced hearing loss. Older
people will experience greater hearing loss
than young people, when both are exposed
to the same damaging level of noise.
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All aspects of hearing are affected by age:
loudness discrimination, speech
discrimination, and frequency. As they get
older, both men and women lose hearing at
the lowest and the highest frequencies.
Hearing
Degree of Hearing Loss
Decibel Level
Examples
Effect
Normal Hearing
-15 to 10 dB
rustling leaves
No hearing related problem
Borderline Normal
11 to 25 dB
faint speech
Difficulty hearing very quiet speech,
especially in noisy places
25 to 40 dB
whispers, quiet
talking
Moderate Hearing Loss
40 to 55 dB
quiet or normal
speech, radio at
normal volume
Can hear nearby conversations
May not hear distant warning signals,
especially in noisy places
Cannot hear distant voices
Moderately Severe Hearing Loss
55 to 70 dB
normal or loud
speech, doorbell
Can hear only loud close conversations
Cannot hear distant car horns, warning
signals, or voices in noisy places
Severe Hearing Loss
70 to 90 dB
telephone rings,
thunder
Profound Hearing Loss
90 dB or more
Mild Hearing Loss
Difficulty hearing faint or distant speech
even in a quiet place
May not hear verbal warnings of danger
Cannot hear normal conversational speech
May hear close loud voices
Cannot hear car horns, warning signals or
voices
May hear loud sounds
Hearing is no longer a primary form of
power tools, chain
communication
saw
Cannot hear car horns, warning signals or
voices
examples of different levels of
hearing loss and the effects
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The smell receptors are extremely sensitive, but they tire easily.
That is why we no longer notice an odor after a few minutes of
exposure. Our smell receptors no longer respond to that odor.
The technical term for this is olfactory fatigue. Our noses get
tired of smelling the same old stuff and turn off (i.e. stop
responding to the smell) while they wait for something more
interesting to come along.
 We cannot detect smells very well if we have a stuffy nose or
have allergies such as hay fever. Inflammation in the nasal tissue
or the thicker mucous coating that covers the epithelium can
prevent odorants from reaching the smell receptors.
 A poor sense of smell can also affect how foods taste because of
the close relationship between smell and taste. Our tongues and
noses work together. While the tongue can detect only 5 distinct
flavors, the nose can detect hundreds of scents. Together, taste
and smell produce our sensation of flavor.
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Smelling
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Our taste buds don't last very long. On average,
they live only 7-10 days before they die off and are
replaced by new receptors.
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As we age, this replacement process slows down.
More taste receptors are lost than are replaced,
causing a gradual loss the sense of taste going from
middle age to old age.
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Other factors such as illnesses and use of drugs,
excessive exposure to X-rays, smoking, and excess
alcohol consumption can also slow down the
replacement process of taste receptors.
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This is why smokers and heavy drinkers have a
poorer sense of taste and require heavier seasoning
of foods, to compensate for the loss of taste buds..
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Between the ages of 50 and 70, taste preferences
generally shift away from sweet flavors towards tart
ones. Cultural factors, traditions and taboos also
play an important role in shaping taste preferences.
Tasting
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Free nerve endings respond equally to all sorts of stimuli:
chemicals, pressure, temperature extremes, tissue
damage, electric current, radiant energy, unlike the
encapsulated end organs (Meissner, Pacinian, etc.) which
respond to specific stimuli. Free nerve endings also
respond to the other types of touch, but with less precision
than the encapsulated end organs.
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The periphery of the body has the greatest sensitivity to
touch, with sensitivity decreasing as one moves from
peripheral areas to areas in the midline of the body. Our
fingertips are highly sensitive and have very good touch
discrimination, whereas the skin over our stomach is
relatively insensitive and unable to distinguish light stimuli.
Touching
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Getting people to accept changes, even
ones that are ergonomically correct, is
difficult. People resist change. That's just
human nature. They're especially
resistant to change if it is imposed upon
them. They resent feeling powerless and
passive, of having no say in the matter.
The Soft Side of Ergonomics
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People will not be dazzled into agreement and acceptance
by a tour-de-force display of ergonomic knowhow. They
need to be won over with gentle persuasion.
Older adults have their pride; they do not want to be
bossed around as if they were children. They have their
settled habits and it will greatly undermine their sense of
familiarity to have their routines and habits re-arranged,
especially when they feel it is unnecessary.
Creating a senior-friendly ergonomic home must be done
with them, not to them. Discuss the changes that you are
thinking about and get their feedback. Do not belittle their
concerns or pooh-pooh their fears -- their concerns are
legitimate and should be treated with respect, even if you
do not agree with them. Try to see their point of view and
they may be more willing to see yours
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
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Go easy with the older folks. They have lived long lives and have
been productive in their own time, in their own way, in their own
world. They developed survival skills for the hardships and
challenges that they have faced and conquered. Though their
skills and perspectives may no longer seem relevant in today's
environment, respect them. Be respectful of their perspectives,
their opinions, and their preferences. This may require a good
dose of patience, which sounds easy, but can be hard, especially
if you are hard pressed by the demands of your own life.
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Older people sometimes stubbornly refuse to admit that they
need help or that a change would be good. It is hard for them to
think of themselves as old; they do not want to admit their
deficits for fear of being marginalized. Seniors prize their
independence, even when they can no longer be independent.
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Introduce new ideas slowly and don't overwhelm them with too
many choices at one time. Get feedback from them on the
proposed changes -- ask them how they would feel about it,
whether they would be willing to give it a try. For instance, ask
them to try out a bathtub grab bar or a shower seat. If they
refuse, find out why.
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Older people do not want to be stigmatized as old people (even if
they are old). A walker or cane is tangible evidence of a deficit -one which they may not be willing to accept. They may think of
their weakness as a temporary setback, rather than a sign of a
permanent, irreversible decline. Don't try to get them to accept
the inevitably of their aging -- they will resist. Instead, agree that
"perhaps this is just a temporary setback or condition, but for the
meantime, to give everyone a little peace of mind, please
consider using this aid."
Easy Does It
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Mention that you worry about them and would feel more at ease
in your mind knowing that they have this aid or device that they
can use if they choose. They may be (gently) persuaded if they
think it will help you.
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Let them know that you're not going to force a
(unless it is truly a matter of life or death). Let
you want them to try something new, in hopes
life easier for them and allow them to continue
independently.
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By proposing the change as a trial, they will be reassured that
they can refuse it and have it taken away if it does not suit them.
This gives them a sense of control over the situation, which may
make them more amenable to your suggestions.
change upon them
them know that
that it will make
living
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